Diaboli Latebris
by FeatherRose242
Summary: For centuries, Diaboli Latebris was successfully guarded by courageous members of a village called The Town. Every sign of bubbling evil was crushed without incident. But now, powerful tremors shake the earth and inhuman howls shatter the air as a new force rises up from the depths of darkness, intent on eradicating its oppressor once and for all.
1. Chapter I

_Hello, everyone. For those of you who think I'm familiar but don't recognize my penname, that's because I used to be Itachi-21. After I started expanding my collection of manga/anime, I realized that I didn't want my penname to lean towards a certain manga, so I decided to change it to FeatherRose242. I apologize for the confusion._

_This story, Diaboli Latebris, was actually inspired by a computer game called Fate. I was just playing it one day when an idea for a story popped into my mind, so here it is. A quick heads-up: this story has monsters and possibly graphic violence. If you aren't comfortable with them, then please don't force yourself to read this story._

_Please note that this story will only be updated SPARINGLY. I've long since given up on forcing myself to write, and I will only write when I'm in the mood. Please make sure that you are willing to wait a long time for an update before following this._

_Thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoy Diaboli Latebris!_

_I am grateful to SteelPorcelainMXIV and SecretlyADemon for being my betas for this story._

* * *

**Chapter I**

"_We raised the guillotine with our own hands and dropped it on our own necks."_

The Town.

That was the name that everyone had given this simple, yet significant place. There were no other words to describe it. In the past, the place was called things like 'Devilgate' and 'Hellguard,' but it wasn't exactly a door to the Devil nor was it guarding Hell. But The Town was technically guarding something, mind you.

And that something was a hole at the base of a mountain.

No, don't laugh. This hole actually leads to one of the most dangerous places that mankind could wander into. Once you entered this hole, you'd find yourself facing all kinds of Dark Creatures. Without the right training and equipment, those who ventured into the hole never came back out. An appropriate name to call this portal to death would be…

_Diaboli Latebris. _The Devil's Lair.

And members of The Town were in charge of making sure nothing entered or exited from Diaboli Latebris. To do that, they needed to be well-trained warriors to face the occasional rise of evil that bubbled up from underground.

Two households, Phantomhive and Trancy, had long held the title of Battle Commanders. The Heads of the families were formidable warriors, and were designated as joint leaders of The Town. The Phantomhives were known for their exceptional skill at magical tactics and their above-average intelligence. The Trancies stood out due to their expertise with weapons and their excellent vitality. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with.

Both Heads had children of their own. The Trancy heir, called Alois Trancy, was a young boy with unruly blonde hair and ice-blue eyes. He often wore purple and black and had quite a cheerful personality with a slight hint of sadism. He was particularly fond of teasing the people he thought were obnoxious and whiny.

Alois's best friend, Ciel Phantomhive, was one of the few who could understand the blonde well enough to get along with him. Ciel was the only son of the Earl of Phantomhive, and the boy had navy blue hair with blue eyes. The heir of Phantomhive usually wore blue and black and harbored a fondness for sweets. Ciel abhorred it when people didn't take dangerous situations seriously and loathed it when people gushed about how 'cute' he looked.

Ciel Phantomhive also preferred not to get up early.

When his alarm clock rang at eight-thirty in the morning, the young Phantomhive grumbled under his breath and pulled the covers over his head. Since that did nothing to stifle the loud screech of the clock, Ciel sat up abruptly and gave the top of his alarm a sharp smack, silencing the wretched thing.

Still muttering not very nice things about mornings and alarms, Ciel slid out of bed and changed out of his nightshirt into a pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt. He slid on his socks and his shoes before making his way downstairs.

"Good morning, Young Master!" A maid greeted him as soon as he arrived on the ground floor of his family's mansion.

"Morning, Meyrin," Ciel replied, offering the magenta-haired maid a small smile. Suddenly, two hands grasped his cheeks and tugged on them playfully. Ciel let out a yelp of surprise and pain as the person spun him around and gave him a hug.

"My little boy is as adorable as ever!" Rachel Phantomhive squealed, completely unaware that she was slowly suffocating said boy with her chest.

"Mom…can't…breathe…" Ciel gasped, struggling to get out of Rachel's vice-like grip.

"My Lady!" Meyrin said, putting a hand on Rachel's shoulder to alert the amber-haired woman of Ciel's strife. Rachel immediately released Ciel, allowing the boy to fill his lungs with much-needed oxygen.

"Sorry, dear," Rachel laughed sheepishly, patting her son's head.

"It's okay," Ciel replied, "What did Bard cook for breakfast today?"

"Poached salmon and mint salad, Young Master," said Bard, the cook for the house of Phantomhive, as he came out of the kitchen to greet Ciel. He saluted Rachel and leaned down to whisper to Ciel, "Master Alois is here, too."

Ciel groaned. "Did he eat all of my food yet?"

Bard chuckled. "Don't worry, Young Master. I hid your plate from him."

Ciel let out a tiny sigh of relief. The last time Alois had come here, the blonde had eaten most of Ciel's breakfast, forcing the latter to go to training school hungry. Ciel had been unable to focus on schoolwork that day and ended up being scolded by the teacher for the first time ever. However, the blonde had made up for it by bringing Ciel two slices of sweet chocolate cake the next day.

The very same blonde tackled Ciel when the Phantomhive heir arrived in the kitchen. "Ciel!" Alois shouted cheerfully, "Good morning!"

"Alois, get off," Ciel returned, "I need to eat breakfast." Alois slid off his best friend obediently, used to the blue-haired boy's snappy retorts. Still grinning, the Trancy heir followed Ciel around the kitchen as the Phantomhive found his breakfast and sat down to begin eating.

A man who looked like an older version of Ciel walked in. He nodded at the two boys, "Morning, Alois. Ciel."

"Hi, Dad," Ciel smiled at his father. Vincent Phantomhive returned the gesture and ruffled his son's hair affectionately. Ciel squeaked in protest and patted down his mussed-up hair while Alois laughed at him.

Vincent chuckled. "Don't be late for school, you two. You have your final exams soon, so it's crucial that you focus and study hard." With that, he left the room, wishing Alois and Ciel a good day.

Ciel gulped down his breakfast as fast as he could without choking. Bard's cooking was, to put it nicely, not the best. The Phantomhive chef had a habit of using flamethrowers and other strange 'cooking' equipment that Ciel was pretty sure didn't belong in the kitchen. Even on rare days that the loyal cook didn't use war weapons to cook meals, the food still turned out like the work of an amateur, and that was what Bard technically was.

Ciel knew better than to complain about the food though. "Come on, Alois," he said, pushing his chair away from the table and letting Meyrin take his empty plate, "We have half an hour before class starts."

"Yes, sir!" Alois sang as the boys grabbed their bags and left the Phantomhive manor, heading for Weston Training School.

**[~|Diaboli Latebris|~]**

"Cieellll!" A young girl with long blonde hair seized the blue-haired boy in a suffocating hug the moment the Phantomhive and his Trancy friend stepped foot into their classroom.

_Why me? _Ciel pondered to himself as he was once again trapped in a killer hug by a person of the opposite gender. "Lizzie…you're killing me," he wheezed as the girl twirled him around. Alois sniggered at Ciel's misfortune and the latter shot the blonde a glare.

Elizabeth Midford, more commonly known as Lizzie, released Ciel immediately. "Sorry!" she apologized, flustered.

Suddenly, the sound of someone clapping made all the young people look up to the front of the room. A tall man with messy black hair stood at the front, waiting until he had the attention of all of the students. There was an apathetic look on his face as he watched the teenagers scramble for their seats. When the last student sat down, the man cleared his throat and intoned, "Good morning, class."

"Good morning, Professor Agares!" Some students exclaimed energetically while the rest returned the greeting with the same amount of enthusiasm as their teacher had given them.

Johan Agares was strict and calm most of time. He was in charge of teaching the children who were twelve to fifteen years old. In his classes, the students were taught how to distinguish different Dark Creatures and how to combat them. He also tutored the students in utilizing basic magic and gave lectures about the special powers that could be imbued into weapons.

The other teacher, Arthur Conan Doyle, was more commonly known as Arthur Wordsmith, and he taught children from ages six to eleven. Students under his tutelage were taught how to read, write, and perform mathematical operations. Then, they were taught some basic hand-to-hand combat and how to use swords as they grew a little older. Wordsmith was much more lenient than Agares, making him a better instructor for young children.

"Please open your books to page five hundred and thirty-seven," Agares requested to his class, "We will be finishing up the chapter on the dragons of Diaboli Latebris today."

A murmur of excitement rippled briefly through the class. Dragons were the last subject that Agares would be teaching them. After that, they would be doing review exercises that helped to prepare them for their final exam.

As Ciel flipped through his book to the section on four types of dragons that slept deep within Diaboli Latebris, Alois pushed a small sheet of paper into his hand. Ciel opened it up curiously and quickly read the scrawled message.

_Want to train together later?_

Ciel shot a cursory glance at Agares, making sure that the teacher wasn't looking as he leaned over slightly and whispered, "Sure," in Alois's ear. The blonde gave his friend a quick thumbs-up and a grin before both students refocused their attention to their teacher.

"As you all already know, I hope, dragons are some of the most dangerous creatures in Diaboli Latebris," Agares explained, "They are not capable of performing magic, but their armor can block any weak spell that you send at them." He jabbed a finger at the picture of four different types of dragons. "The four known kinds of dragons are the Fire, Ice, Thunder, and Venom Dragons. As you can see below the picture, the different strengths and weaknesses of each dragon are listed."

Agares shut his book with a snap. "I will leave you all to look over that information later." His gaze suddenly turned into a glare. "What I'm going to tell you next is very important, and I expect you to listen well and remember this for the rest of your life, however short that may be."

He paused to let his words sink in before continuing in a firm voice, "Never, ever mistake a Dragon for a Drake. They have the same colors, the same body structure, and the same abilities, but Dragons are bigger and much more powerful than Drakes. While a Firedrake may singe your clothes with a flamethrower, a Fire Dragon will scorch you into a pile of ash with the same attack."

The professor pointed to a photograph of a young man that was hanging next one of the classroom's windows. "Derrick Arden, age 19, died of severe hypothermia for just being in the presence of an Ice Dragon for too long."

A young girl with brown hair and blue eyes raised her hand. "What is it, Doll?" Agares questioned.

"Just how long was Arden exposed?" Doll asked curiously.

"Three minutes and twenty-two seconds," Agares replied flatly. Murmurs of fear and shock slithered through the students. "But there is no need to worry too much," the teacher added, "Dragons dwell deep in Diaboli Latebris. So far, only one other person – besides Arden – has even seen a Dragon."

"Who?" Alois exclaimed excitedly, ice-blue eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Agares frowned at how the blonde didn't raise his hand before speaking but chose not to reprimand the student. "The Seer," he replied shortly, "And if you want to know what happened, go ask the Seer yourself. It is his story to tell."

The rest of the class passed quickly. Agares reviewed information on Dragons and gave the students a worksheet to complete without their notes. When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, the students rushed to turn in their work before grabbing their things and racing to the classroom door.

"One moment!" Agares called. The students froze where they stood as the teacher spoke, "Tomorrow, there will be no need for you to bring anything to class. We will be doing a practical exercise in preparation for your final exam."

He turned his back on the class, signaling that they were dismissed. The teens wasted no time squeezing themselves out the door.

"Meet you at the Grove, Ciel!" Alois shouted as the two boys separated. Ciel waved to his best friend as the latter dashed towards the Trancy mansion. The blue-haired boy headed back to the Phantomhive house, where he was greeted by the butler, Tanaka.

"Welcome back, Young Master," the old man bowed, "How was your day?"

"Same as usual," Ciel answered, handing his bag to Tanaka for the man to hang up, "Has Bard prepared lunch?"

"He has," Tanaka said, leading Ciel to the dining room, "Will you be staying after lunch, Young Master, or will you be going out with Master Alois again?"

"Alois," Ciel grunted as he sat down and took a large bite out of the sandwich Bard had successfully made, "I'll have to borrow a basic weapon from Lau again." He gulped down a mouthful of tea and wolfed down the rest of his lunch.

"Young Master!" A boy with short, messy, strawberry-blonde hair and large turquoise eyes came running into the dining room, nearly running into Ciel. "Welcome back!" he cried, giving Ciel a hug that nearly crushed the latter's bones. Literally.

"Finny!" Tanaka said sharply, noticing the brief flash of pain on Ciel's face, "Please be careful. The Young Master will be training with Master Alois later today, and would prefer not to spar with broken bones."

Finny, whose real name was Finnian, gasped and immediately released Ciel. "I'm sorry, Young Master!" he apologized, bowing his head, "Are you okay? I didn't mean to hurt you! I was just happy to–!"

"I'm fine, Finny," Ciel interrupted, raising one hand to stem the blabber that came from the gardener's mouth, "There's no need to apologize. Really."

As the navy-haired teen finished speaking, Vincent walked into the room, putting on his coat. He smiled at his son and asked, "Training?"

"Yes," Ciel returned the smile, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to a meeting with Lord Trancy," Vincent answered, buttoning up his coat, "I'll be back for dinner. Have fun and be safe with your training, Ciel." He pulled the boy into a one-armed hug. "Don't overdo it and make sure you don't wander too close to Diaboli Latebris. There are the Gatekeepers, but…"

Ciel suppressed a sigh at Vincent's overprotectiveness. "I know, Dad, and the place where Alois and I spar isn't very close to Diaboli Latebris anyway," he reassured.

Vincent ruffled his son's hair one last time before leaving the house, chuckling at Ciel's indignant exclamation as the boy tried to smooth his messy, navy-blue hair for the second time that day.

Not too long after Vincent's departure, Ciel grabbed a handful of money, some chocolate cookies, and his book of magic spells and left the Phantomhive manor. He walked down the dirt path that led from the mansion and arrived in the town square, where all the shops were situated.

The stores were placed in a circle around a stone fountain that was shaped like a blooming flower with narrow petals. The flower, known as the Flos Mollitia or Flower of Resilience, was used to symbolize the long history of The Town and the interminable future that was to come. Members of The Town would gather around the fountain during town meetings, and social events were often held in places where the Flos Mollitia was in view. Any event was started with town members kneeling and bowing their heads to the fountain followed by a speech given by either Lord Trancy or Earl Phantomhive to the greatly-revered flower. At the end of the event, everyone would gather around the fountain and toss a flower head into the pool of crystal-clear water that surrounded the Flos Mollitia as a sign of respect.

Now, Ciel paused in front of the Flos Mollitia fountain and bowed his head to the structure. He stayed in that position for five seconds, and then straightened up and walked to a nearby shop that had a 'Weaponry and Alchemy' sign hanging above the front door. Ciel pushed open the door and stalked inside, loudly calling, "Lau! I need to rent a weapon again!"

Lau's shop was filled with knives and daggers and halberds and swords of all kinds as well as healing, stamina, and mana potions. As he waited for the shop owner to appear, Ciel wandered over to a sword that was on display, thinking about the different weapons he had borrowed in the past. A frown crossed his face as he remembered how the weapons had all been deemed too long or heavy and how difficult they had been to wield. Perhaps he would settle with something shorter this time, like a dagger or a knife.

"Ah, little Earl!" Lau exclaimed happily as he came out from the back of his shop, "I was wondering when you'd come back!"

"Don't call me that!" Ciel retorted, glaring at the taller, black-haired man. Lau was at least a head taller than the Phantomhive heir, resulting in Ciel having to tilt his head back in order to look Lau in the eyes.

"But it suits you, little boy," Lau teased, keeping his eyes closed as the smug smirk on his face grew. He walked towards a wall filled with hanging cleavers. "You say you wanted to borrow another weapon?"

"Yes," Ciel confirmed, following the man around the shop, "But preferably something short and light. I can't stand those heavy lumps of metal."

Lau whipped around without warning, causing Ciel to walk into him. "Little Earl, you shouldn't call swords and poleaxes 'lumps of metal.' Just because they're not suited for you doesn't mean they won't be useful for someone else. Master Alois, for example," he reprimanded lightly.

The young Phantomhive's glare intensified just slightly before Ciel sighed in resignation and said, "Fine, fine. I apologize. Happy?"

Lau chuckled as he reached up and lifted a small dagger off the wall. "Perhaps you would like to try this knife, little Earl," he suggested, "It's called a Kopis*. I think you will like it."

Ciel took the Kopis from Lau and tested its weight in his hands. It felt very light in comparison to the trident Lau had lent him three days ago. The blue-haired heir unsheathed the silver blade and slashed the air a few times, finding that he rather liked this weapon.

"What information do you have about this weapon?" Ciel prompted Lau, who had walked away to polish the handle of a naginata while Ciel became acquainted with the Kopis.

"The word 'Kopis' comes from the Greek word 'koptō,' which means 'to cut' or 'to strike,'" Lau explained, "That one weighs about eighteen ounces and is twenty-four inches long. It's a single-edged blade and actually originated from an agricultural tool."

Ciel sheathed the blade. "How much for a one-day rent?"

"Thirteen gold pieces," Lau answered, smiling as when he heard the Phantomhive reach into his bag of coins. "You sound desperate to try out that sword, little Earl," he teased as Ciel counted out thirteen gold coins.

"It's not often that I come across a blade that I like," Ciel retorted, shoving the gold into Lau's hands, "I'll have it back before dusk."

"Take care of it!" Lau waved his hand as the door to his store shut with a dull thunk. He stood in the middle of his shop for a few seconds, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. After a moment of silence, the man walked towards his counter, plucked a piece of paper from a drawer, scribbled something on the paper with his quill, and put the paper in his pocket.

**[~|Diaboli Latebris|~]**

When Ciel arrived at the Grove, Alois was already practicing. Breathing heavily from his long run, Ciel doubled over and watched Alois swing his borrowed war hammer with skill and practiced ease. Unlike his best friend, Alois had developed a liking towards heavier weapons that had a long reach, which was somewhat expected due to the Trancys' area of expertise.

Ciel smirked, having gotten an idea from watching the blonde practice by himself. Raising his right hand so that the palm was facing Alois, Ciel muttered a chant under his breath and focused his spiritual energy into his hand. A red glow appeared, condensing into an orb of fire, which Ciel launched towards the unsuspecting Alois with frightening speed.

"Ahh!" Alois yelped as the fireball missed his face by a few inches. Bristling indignantly, he turned to Ciel, who was howling with laughter at Alois's feminine shriek.

"What the heck, Ciel?" the blonde shouted, stomping his foot childishly, "Were you trying to cook my head?"

"No, actually," Ciel choked out, "You just looked so focused that I had to scare you!" He sat down on the grass and took out the chocolate cookies that he had brought from home. Alois plopped down next to him grumpily, and Ciel handed him a couple cookies as a peace offering, which Alois accepted grudgingly.

"What did you borrow from Lau this time?" Alois shoved a whole cookie into his mouth and chewed. Ciel snickered at how the Trancy's cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's.

"I borrowed a Kopis," the Phantomhive replied once he had swallowed his laughter, "It's a pretty light weapon. The blade is curved in a way that could make it more complicated to wield, but I like it so far."

Without warning, Alois swung his war hammer at Ciel, who blocked it just in time with his borrowed Kopis. The Phantomhive's arms were jarred by the strength behind his friend's attack, and he stumbled slightly in an attempt to regain his footing.

"Alois!" Ciel exclaimed, "What the…?"

Alois slung his war hammer over one shoulder and smirked. "Since you like that Kopis so much, Ciel, why don't we test it out and start our spar already?" he suggested.

Ciel blinked at the suddenness of Alois's request before smirking back. "You're on," he countered as he raised the glinting blade of the Kopis.

* * *

_*The Kopis is a real sword that originated in Greece around 400 BCE. It is considered a scythe weapon that has a curved, single-edged blade. Some versions of it have a knuckle guard on the hilt. (Cited from "Knives and Swords: A Visual History")_


	2. Chapter II

_Back with another chapter. I think I'll try to go for monthly updates. That should give me enough time to write and edit a chapter. Hopefully, I can follow this without a problem._

_~FR242_

* * *

**Chapter II**

"_When things feel most normal is when chaos is most likely to erupt."_

Ciel ducked to evade a swing from the war hammer and raised his Kopis to slash at Alois's torso. The blonde jumped a safe distance away, but had to dodge to one side immediately as Ciel sent a fireball in his direction.

"You can already perform spells without chanting an incantation?" Alois yelped, "That is, like, woah!"

"Only simple spells," Ciel called back, sending another fireball at Alois and forcing his friend to do a series of backflips to avoid the barrage of flaming orbs.

"This is not fair, Ciel!" Alois cried as he narrowly avoided getting his clothes singed, "I can barely perform a Shield Spell and you're already firing off charms without saying a word!"

"Phantomhives are naturals when it comes to spells," Ciel countered, "Just like how Trancys are the masters at weapons." He ceased his firing of spells for the time being. If he used too many spells in succession it was mentally exhausting, and mental exhaustion could take days to recover from if it was severe enough.

"But look!" Alois raised his right hand and muttered something under his breath. A red glow appeared in his hand, and wisps of red flame slowly gathered in front of his palm. It grew into a small fireball and Alois launched it towards a boulder that lay nearby. The scarlet orb zigzagged towards the stone and went out with a hiss before it could touch the piece of rock.

"You're not keeping your concentration," Ciel told a dejected Alois, "When you cast a spell, you must start focusing before you even say the incantation, and the focus must be there until the spell ends completely."

Alois nodded and raised his hand again, eyes narrowed with concentration. "Let's try this again," he muttered and repeated the incantation for the Fireball Spell. The sphere that manifested this time was bigger than the last, but it still traveled in a loopy path before it struck a patch of grass next to the rock and exploded.

"At least that was better than last time," Alois said, running his hand through his hair.

"It was," Ciel agreed, "At least it didn't explode before you fired it. I'm sure you'd rather go through the practical tomorrow without a scorched palm."

Alois shuddered. "That sounds painful, and yes, I would definitely like to do the practical without a throbbing hand."

Suddenly, Ciel threw his Kopis at Alois, who let out a shout and swatted it aside with his war hammer. As the Kopis went spinning through the air, Ciel flicked his index finger in Alois's direction and sent a bullet of white lightning at the blonde. The Trancy cursed and stabbed his war hammer into ground, using it to pass off the electric shock of Ciel's Lightning Spell.

Taking advantage of the fact that Alois was preoccupied, Ciel caught his Kopis and dashed forward, stopping with the point of blade of his knife touching Alois's neck. Alois froze in the middle of pulling his war hammer out from the ground.

"Yield?" Ciel smirked triumphantly as a look of frustration crossed Alois's face.

"Yes, I yield," Alois grumbled reluctantly. "That was a dirty trick," he added.

"In battle, one must use all resources available in order to emerge victorious," Ciel said. He lowered the Kopis. "By the way, there's this new spell that I want to try, but it requires two people to work."

Alois raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to ask me, Ciel? You just witnessed one of my pathetic attempts to summon a fireball."

"You don't need to use any magic," Ciel said as he opened up the book of spells that he brought, "All you need to do is draw a symbol on the ground around me as I recite the incantation. The symbol needs to be completed before I finish chanting, then I will channel my energy into the symbol in order to make the spell work."

"What will the spell do?" Alois asked as he scrutinized the symbol that he had to draw.

"It's going to cast an illusion that will make me seem more frightening, urging enemies to run away instead of attacking," Ciel explained, "The charm's official name is the Fear Spell."

"Okay," Alois conceded, "Give me a few moments to practice the symbol."

"Go ahead. I need to memorize the incantation and the way I should make my spiritual energy flow."

The boys fell silent as they went about their own tasks. Ciel narrowed his eyes as he muttered the incantation over and over again under his breath, committing the words to memory. His eyes scanned the diagram depicting the flow of spiritual energy for the Fear Spell.

Alois dragged the sharp point of his war hammer through the dirt, getting the feel of the symbol before he actually had to draw it while Ciel performed the magic. "What level of magic is the Fear Spell?" Alois suddenly asked, pausing in the middle of drawing the symbol.

"It's an intermediate spell," Ciel replied, "Why?" Then he scowled. "I'm not that reckless, Alois."

"Just making sure." The Trancy heir shrugged and added the finishing touches to the symbol on the ground. "I'm ready."

Ciel nodded and stood up, leaving the book on the ground. He stood in the center of the clearing with Alois next to him. They exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously. The Phantomhive began to recite the incantation while the Trancy weaved around him, carving the Fear Spell's symbol into the earth once again.

Towards the end of the chanting, Ciel realized that his energy flow was wavering. He had been so caught up in getting the incantation right that he was distracting himself from the energy flow required for the spell to work. He quickly snapped his control back onto the flow but nearly stumbled over a few words in the chant. Luckily, the mistakes weren't too serious, and the toll on the spell wouldn't be that great.

As the symbol and incantation were finished, Ciel spread his arms out wide as he felt a freezing wind pass over his body. An invisible pressure pushed down on his body, and a brief suffocating sensation passed through Ciel, vanishing just as quickly as it appeared. Alois let out a startled yelp and pressed himself against the trunk of a tree.

Then, the spell was over. Ciel turned to Alois, "What happened?"

Alois took deep breaths to steady himself. "F-For a second there, you l-looked…demonic," he finished awkwardly, unable to think of another word to describe the effects of the Fear Spell. "You were all bone; there was no flesh on you. You wore a flowing black cloak that made you look so menacing! The spell really does live up to its name."

"So it worked?" Ciel asked, rubbing his eyes to try to get rid of a heavy fog that seemed to cloud over his eyes.

"Oh, yeah, it worked!" Alois muttered, "Bloody hell, it worked. It was really frightening. I'm going to cover my eyes next time…" He stopped talking when Ciel stumbled and nearly collapsed to the ground. Reacting quickly, the blonde reached out and caught his friend, concern written all over his face.

"You okay, Ciel?" Alois shouted as he supported the Phantomhive.

Ciel shook his head to clear the fog that was settling at the edge of his vision. He pushed Alois away and stood shakily. "I'm fine," he muttered, "I think I used too many spells."

Alois looked at his friend with uncertainty. "We should get home," he said as he began to put away his things, "It's almost dinner time and it's starting to get dark. Besides, mental exhaustion isn't something to take too lightly."

Ciel voiced his agreement. However, when Alois took the Kopis from his hands, he said, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to walk you home and then drop off the Kopis at Lau's," Alois declared firmly, "In your condition, the first place you should go is home, not the Weaponry." Ciel grumbled under his breath but was already starting to feel too tired to complain out loud when Alois slung the Phantomhive's arm over his shoulder so he could support Ciel home.

**[~|Diaboli Latebris|~]**

Sitting through dinner proved to be torture for Ciel. His mind was so exhausted from performing spells that afternoon that he nearly put his face into his bowl of soup five times. Rachel and Vincent shot concerned looks at their son while the servants exchanged worried glances.

At last, Rachel put down her silverware and asked, "Ciel, are you alright?"

The boy started slightly, blinking stupidly before he realized that his mother had asked him a question. "Yes, I'm fine," he stumbled over his words, "Sorry."

Vincent stopped eating as well. "Ciel, you nearly dunked your face in your soup five times already. You can't be fine."

"My cooking can't be that bad," Bard muttered to Meyrin, who hummed softly in agreement.

"Is the Young Master ill?" Finny asked innocently. However, his question caused an immediate uproar among the servants.

"Oh, no! Y-Y-Young Master's sick?" Meyrin shrieked.

"Don't stand around!" Bard barked to the gardener and the maid, "Get the Young Master to bed and find some medicine to lower his fever!"

"What!" Ciel exclaimed indignantly, "I am not sick. I just feel like there's this fog hanging in front of my eyes and in my head!"

Vincent raised a hand, and the three servants froze in the middle of trying to drag Ciel upstairs. "Son, how many spells did you use during your training session this afternoon?" He inquired amusedly, clearly entertained by the show his son and servants were putting on.

"Uh…a lot?" Ciel answered, running a hand through his hair as he tried to remember, "I didn't keep track."

Vincent and Rachel looked relieved. "Well, that explains everything," Rachel sighed.

"It seems like our son's just suffering from a mild case of mental exhaustion from using too many magic spells," Vincent agreed. He turned to the servants. "Bard, please prepare a cup of warm milk. Meyrin, you may clean up dinner, unless anyone hasn't finished eating. Finny, go to Ciel's room and make sure the windows are closed. While you're at it, fill a bowl with hot water and a fetch a towel. Tanaka…" Earl Phantomhive faltered when he saw the butler in his smaller form.

Tanaka's smaller form practically made him useless, seeing as he could only sit there, drink tea, and say 'ho ho ho.' Vincent sighed and scooped up Ciel. "Tanaka, you're fine just as you are." As he walked upstairs with Rachel following him, he muttered, "We need a new butler soon."

"Dad, I can walk," Ciel protested weakly, his eyes already half-lidded as he struggled not to fall asleep.

"Into a wall," Vincent replied, "Mental exhaustion will make you disoriented if serious enough, and I don't want to have my son risk getting a head injury." The three Phantomhives walked into Ciel's room and Vincent placed his son on the bed gently. "I'll be right back with something for your head," he promised as he walked out.

Rachel began to undress her son, taking off his shirt and pants but leaving his underwear on. Quietly, she took the towel that Finny had placed next to the bed and dipped it into the bowl of warm water that the gardener had prepared earlier. Once the towel was soaked, she squeezed the excess water from the cloth and started wiping Ciel's body. "You're too tired to take a bath, so we'll have to do it this way instead," she explained when Ciel tried to stop her.

Vincent came back in, holding a small vial of blue liquid and a cup of warm milk. "This mana potion will clear up your head for tomorrow, Ciel." He poured the vial's contents into the cup of milk and stirred the mixture with a spoon.

Rachel pulled Ciel into a sitting position as Vincent lifted the cup to the boy's lips. Ciel's eyelids fluttered and he opened his mouth to drink the milk-and-potion concoction. When he was finished, Rachel laid him back down and pulled the covers over Ciel's body.

Vincent and Rachel stood next to their son's bed for a few seconds longer, smiling at their sleeping boy as his chest rose and fell in a calm and steady rhythm.

**[~|Diaboli Latebris|~]**

The next morning, Ciel was woken by a normal Tanaka shaking his shoulder urgently. "Tanaka, what is it?" Ciel yawned, rubbing his eyes blearily.

"Young Master, you're going to be late for school!" Tanaka warned, stepping back as Ciel glanced the clock. The boy's blue eyes widened in alarm when he saw the time.

"Oh, no!" Ciel exclaimed, jumping out of bed and getting dressed in a hurry, "I was so tired after training with Alois yesterday I didn't hear the alarm."

"Master Alois is waiting for you downstairs," Tanaka said as the two of them hurried out of Ciel's room, "And Lord Vincent and Lady Rachel wish to speak with you before you leave."

Ciel groaned, patting his hair down as they ran down the stairs. "They're going to scold me for oversleeping, aren't they?"

"I do not know, Young Master," Tanaka answered, "Good luck with your practical. I heard from Master Vincent that it will span over several days, so you will not be home for a while."

"Thanks, Tanaka," Ciel said as the old butler bowed and walked outside to the gardens. The Phantomhive heir hastily made his way to the kitchen to grab his breakfast. As it turned out, Vincent, Rachel, Alois, and Bard were there waiting for him.

"Young Master, you're really late today," Bard noted, handing Ciel his breakfast.

"At least we don't have to bring anything," Alois said from his post next to the front door, "We'll be able to run to Weston without anything weighing us down except our breakfast."

"Hi, Mom. Dad," Ciel greeted as he shoved a spoonful of food into his mouth.

"Good morning, Ciel!" Rachel replied happily, "Feeling better?"

"You fell asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow," Vincent chuckled, "Using a lot of magic in half a day can do that to you."

"Ah, yes," Ciel said somewhat sheepishly, "Sorry I wasn't careful enough."

Vincent waved his hand. "It's alright. Does your mind still feel cloudy? I have some more medicine if you think it'll distract you from your practical."

Ciel shook his head as he finished off his meal. "I'll be fine, Dad, thanks." He got up and handed his empty plate to Bard. "Tanaka told me that you and Mom wanted to talk?"

"We just wanted to wish you good luck on your practical and make sure you were feeling better from training yesterday," Rachel smiled, wrapping her arms around Ciel in a motherly embrace.

"Don't forget to use your strengths to your advantage," Vincent winked at Ciel and pulled his wife and his son into a hug. Rachel looked at Alois, noticing that the Trancy looked slightly left out. She beckoned to him, and Alois brightened up before joining the Phantomhives in the group hug.

After a few seconds, Vincent patted both boys on the head. "Off you go now," he said, "You don't want to be late for the practical."

"See you later, Mr. Vincent! Mrs. Rachel!" Alois waved as he bounced happily out of the house.

"Bye, Mom. Dad," said Ciel, following Alois out the door. The two of them sprinted down the dirt path towards Weston Training School.

When the two of them arrived, Agares and the rest of the class were at the front door of the school. As Alois and Ciel joined the group, Agares nodded and said, "Now that we're all here, we can begin your practical. Follow me."

He turned and began to walk to towards the forest that lay to the west of The Town, separating the village from the mountain of Diaboli Latebris. When the group arrived at the edge of the trees, they saw Lau waiting for them with a smile on his face.

"Lau!" Ciel blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Good morning, little Earl!" Lau greeted happily, "I'm here to…" He turned to Agares. "Why am I here again?" he asked pleasantly, oblivious to the brief look of irritation that crossed Agares's face.

The stern teacher turned and faced the class, clapping his hands together to get their attention. "For this practical, you will be divided into pairs and sent into the forest. Lau will give each of you one shortsword and three bottles of healing potion, and those will be your only supplies in this practical."

"What's our objective, Professor Agares?" Elizabeth asked, eyeing the forest warily.

"To survive for three days," Agares answered, "The Hunters and I fenced off a section of the forest, and you are not allowed to cross the fence. The Hunters have also taken some time to capture some monsters from Diaboli Latebris and set them loose in the area. Your job is to work with your partner to find enough food, shelter, and water to survive for three days while trying not to get killed by a Dark Creature. If you wish to withdraw from this practical, then send a fireball into the sky with the Fireball Spell, and you and your partner will be escorted out of the forest by me, Lau, or one of the Hunters. Once the pair has been recovered, a Lightning Spell will be sent into the sky."

As Agares finished explaining, two young men appeared from the forest. One of them carried a club over his shoulder and had short, slicked-back hair. The other one was a pale, gothic teen with black hair that had a white streak on the right side.

"I'm sure you all know that Herman Greenhill and Gregory Violet are our Hunters," Agares introduced the two indifferently.

Greenhill, the one with the club, stepped forward. "Good luck on your practical," he said, "The monsters can be very aggressive."

Violet didn't move out from the patch of shade that he stood on. "Try not to die," he advised quietly, keeping his gaze on the ground.

Some of the more timid members of the class swallowed nervously.

Agares clapped his hands again. "Alright, divide yourselves into pairs!" he ordered, "Then, get a sword and some potions from Lau and you can go into the forest."

The class obediently split themselves up. Ciel and Alois immediately walked up to Lau together and received their weapons and their pouches of healing potions. Elizabeth and Doll followed the boys and accepted their supplies. A small and mousy boy, McMillan, was paired with the energetic Dagger, leaving the remaining members, Beast and Joker, as the last pair.

"Is everyone ready?" Agares asked in an uninterested manner. When he received nods from all four pairs, he unlocked the gate to the forest area of the practical. "Go."

The eight students dashed inside and split off into different directions. Ciel and Alois dodged through the trees together. "I guess the first thing we should do is find a place for shelter, huh," Alois suggested, eyes bright with excitement.

Ciel smirked. "Yes. Let's find someplace to hide before the other groups take all the good spots."


	3. Chapter III

**Chapter III**

"_Those with a faint heart cannot survive the horrors of the world."_

Alois used his shortsword to slash and hack away at the ferns that grew in front of him while Ciel struggled to tie a bundle of leaves together with a long blade of grass. The two of them had found an adequate place to camp for the night and had been trying to tame the wildlife around it since noon.

Swinging his shortsword one last time at the unruly ferns, Alois paused to take a break, breathing heavily and casting a glance at Ciel. "That's a terrible knot," he commented, scrutinizing the Phantomhive's incomplete work.

"Shut up!" Ciel snapped, giving the blade of grass a harsh tug. The grass broke, and Alois held back on snickering at the furious look on his partner's face. Ciel muttered a few choice words and stretched out his arm to pluck a new bit of grass from the ground. Alois reached over and held the bundle of leaves together so Ciel could use both hands to tie a better knot.

"Finally!" Alois sighed, "The tent is finished."

The two boys stepped back to examine their work. All afternoon, they had been working carefully, tying leaves together and binding twigs to form two well-camouflaged walls. The walls were leaned against each other in a slant with plenty of space between them for the boys to sleep on.

"I'll take the first watch tonight," Alois offered, placing his potion pouch and his shortsword on the ground.

Ciel shrugged and mimicked Alois's actions. "Sure. I don't mind." He stood up and cautiously stepped around the leaf-tent. "I'm going to go get us some water. Stay and make sure none of the other pairs come and try to steal our tent."

"Got it," Alois said absentmindedly as he sat down on the dirt and began to put together a pile of twigs and leaves that they would burn for a fire later.

Without further ado, Ciel wandered away into the forest, searching for a source of fresh water. He ducked behind trees and treaded as silently as he could. Sapphire eyes flicked from side to side, watchful of any Dark Creatures that could be trying to hunt him. The Phantomhive shuddered slightly at the thought of long, sharp fangs sinking into his flesh and ripping him to shreds. He would prefer not going through that kind of experience, but as a warrior of The Town, it would be a miracle if he made past twenty-five without getting a scar of some kind.

His thoughts were interrupted as the sound of running water reached his ears. Following the sound, Ciel arrived at the edge of a small stream. The water was clear, clean, and cool. However, as he looked around, Ciel realized that he had nothing to carry water with.

"Crap," Ciel muttered as he straightened up and began to wander around, "Maybe I can find something to use. Alois won't like it if he has to walk all the way over here."

A few minutes into his search, Ciel came across a bowl-shaped object lying on the ground. Picking it up, he turned it over in his hands, gently patting the dirt off. Once he was able to identify the thing, Ciel held it up and stared at it blankly. "It's a helmet," he stated out loud.

The helmet looked old. The edges were worn, and the color was fading off the leather covering. Dry, dark stains clung to the leather even after Ciel doused it in stream water. The blue-haired boy made a face at the stains but didn't say anything. Instead, he bent down to fill the ancient helmet with water.

The edge of the helmet hadn't even touched the surface of the stream before Ciel jerked back up. Blue eyes flicked from side to side as the Phantomhive fell into a crouch, letting the ferns, bushes, and cattails hide him from view.

A rustle farther upstream grabbed Ciel's attention. The boy whipped his head around to see Dagger creep to the edge of the stream and scoop up some water. Ciel relaxed slightly, seeing that Dagger wasn't a creature from Diaboli Latebris. He watched, silent and hidden, as Dagger drank some water from the stream and took off.

Ciel started to crawl out from amid the vegetation when another rustle from the other side of the stream made him retreat back into his hiding place. He half-expected to see another classmate but froze when it wasn't a classmate that came out to the edge of the water.

The thing was short and squat. It had stubby legs and equally stubby arms. The general outline of its body was like a giant mushroom. The creature had a purple body and a pink head. It lacked eyes and ears, but it had a mouth that emitted strange, unintelligible noises that sounded like something slimy being squished. In its right hand, it clutched a short wooden club.

Ciel had to admit that seeing a Death Cap like this was somewhat amusing. The mushroom monster waddled about, prodding at plants with its club and babbling to itself. Ciel shook his head to get himself out of his fascinated staring. _I'd better get rid of it now. _The Phantomhive raised his hand, preparing to perform a spell, but paused when two more Death Caps stumbled out from the undergrowth, joining the first one in exploration.

Ciel's mouth dropped open as he gaped at the trio of giant mushrooms. _I can't beat three of them on my own, but they're blocking the way to Alois. If I try to move, then I'll be discovered for sure! _Ciel pondered. Luckily, the Death Caps chose that moment to go wandering away into the trees. Once they were out of earshot, Ciel sighed in relief and moved out of his hiding place, intent on finishing his task of getting water.

Suddenly, he dropped the helmet and began sprinting after the Death Caps. "Crap!" he cursed his stupidity, "They went in the direction of the camp!" _Alois!_

He splashed across the stream, dashed past bushes and moss-covered rocks, and nearly tripped over a protruding tree root. His footsteps thudded across the leafy forest floor as he struggled to find a hint of purple or pink through the thick mass of vegetation. "Alois!" Ciel shouted, worried that the Death Caps had already found the camp. For such short creatures, they sure moved quickly.

As Ciel jumped past a tree, a loud _thwack _cracked through the air and a sudden pain burst through the Phantomhive's shoulder as he was thrown off balance. As he hit the ground, a chorus of babbling and gargles told him that he had run straight into an ambush. Ciel looked up just in time to see the Death Cap that injured his shoulder was raising its club again, this time aiming for the boy's head.

Reacting quickly, Ciel rolled to the side, and the Death Cap's club smashed into the ground a second later. Silently thanking the heavens that he had moved out of the way in time, Ciel jumped to his feet only to duck a moment later to avoid a swing of a shortsword by a second Death Cap.

Taking advantage of the small opening, Ciel aimed a fireball at the Death Cap with the shortsword. The spell collided with the Death Cap, and the satisfying explosion sent the Death Cap staggering. It fell onto its back, caterwauling with furious squeals as its arms and legs flailed wildly, attempting to get back up.

Meanwhile, Ciel snatched up the shortsword that the Death Cap had dropped. Lifting it above his head, he blocked a swing from a staff by the third Death Cap. Ciel strained under the weight of the force that the Death Cap exerted. _How is this Death Cap so strong?_

As the third Death Cap pushed down on Ciel's weapon, the boy noticed a faint vibration coursing through the staff. His eyes widened as realization struck him in the face. The staff was charmed to provide extra strength for the wielder! "Tch," Ciel gritted his teeth as he tried to think of a plan to push the Death Cap away and somehow get his hands on that staff.

"Ciel!"

Ciel and the Death Caps turned to see Alois throw his shortsword at the Death Cap with the club, which had been sneaking up behind the Phantomhive heir to deal a damaging blow. Alois's shortsword stabbed into the Death Cap's head, killing it instantly. As the mushroom creature dropped to the ground, Alois snatched the club from its hands and hurled it at the Death Cap with the magic staff.

The wooden club smacked the creature in the head hard. It let out a shriek and staggered away from Ciel, who smashed it in the belly with a fireball. The Death Cap screeched again as it was thrown back, dropping its staff in the meantime.

"Alois, get the staff!" Ciel shouted, "It's charmed."

The Trancy dove for the fallen weapon, arms outstretched to grasp the long stick. Suddenly, something tackled him and he was forced to the side. The Death Cap that Ciel had knocked over before Alois came had managed to get to its feet and had charged at Alois before the blond could reach the staff. A wicked cackle came from the mushroom's mouth as it tussled with Alois on the ground.

The other Death Cap had recovered by now and was making its way towards the weapon that it had dropped. Acting swiftly, Ciel attacked the staff with a fireball spell, setting the wooden stick on fire. The Death Cap let out a wail of frustration as the staff was burned to ashes. It stooped down and picked up the wooden club instead, advancing on Ciel in a threatening manner.

Before it could take two paces, the Death Cap that had tackled Alois came flying out and hit it in the side. Both Death Caps were sent rolling away into the grass, and Alois stood up to stand beside Ciel.

"You okay?" Both boys asked at the same time. They exchanged brief huffs of amusement.

"Should we go after the little mushrooms?" Alois asked as he bent down to retrieve his shortsword from first Death Cap's head. It came out with a sickening squelch, and white, gooey fluid poured from the wound. The blond made a disgusted noise as he cleaned off the blade with a few leaves. Ciel turned away from the morbid sight.

"If they come back, we'll deal with them. We should probably move our camp just to be safe though," Ciel said, wincing as he touched his bruised shoulder. Alois nodded in agreement.

When they got back to their camp, Alois first sat Ciel down and opened one of their six bottles of healing potions. He poured a reasonable amount of the red liquid into the bottle cap and handed it to Ciel, who drank it all in one gulp. The spicy taste of the concoction stayed on his tongue and burned his throat, causing the Phantomhive to cough harshly. After a few moments of downing the potion, the large bruise on Ciel's shoulder began to fade. When it completely disappeared, Ciel and Alois began packing up their things to move.

Alois sheathed his shortsword, put away the bottle of scarlet potion, and hefted up one end of the twig-and-leaves walls that he and Ciel had built earlier. Ciel picked up his shortsword – which he had left at the camp when he went off to search for water – and tied the shortsword that he had acquired from the Death Cap to the sheath before lifting the other end of the walls. Together, he and Alois began traipsing through the forest in search of another place to camp.

**[~|Diaboli Latebris|~]**

The sun was setting by the time Ciel and Alois finally settled down in a new place. They had found a small pond to camp near, using the pond as both a source of water and food.

Alois had taken off his shoes and socks and was wading in the pond. His hands were held out in front of him in a ready position, preparing to snatch a fish or two out of the water. Ciel was tending to the small fire they had started, occasionally glancing up to make sure no beasts were trying to sneak up on them.

"Got you!" Alois said triumphantly as he lunged forward and scooped a fish out from the pond with a splash. Keeping a tight grip on the slippery animal, Alois danced out of the water to kill the fish, stab a stick through it, and place it near the fire to cook. Then, he returned to his previous position in the pond, waiting to catch another one.

Ciel rested his head quietly on his knees, biting back a sigh that threatened to rise from his chest. He had to admit that this style of living was quite hard for him. The Phantomhives were nobility and unaccustomed to sleeping on the ground, being cold, and eating less than three full meals every day. However, Phantomhives weren't cowards and didn't complain about trivial things, so Ciel kept his mouth shut and went with the flow of things.

Alois, having caught a second fish, plopped down on the opposite side of the fire from Ciel and held his fish over the flickering flames. "One day down, two more to go," he said as his fish began to roast, "This is more exhausting than I thought it would be."

Ciel snorted. "This is just our preparation practical. Imagine our finals, when we actually have to go inside Diaboli Latebris."

Alois put on a look of fake horror. "Oh, no, Ciel!" he wailed dramatically, "Our royal little behinds are going to be rubbed down to the bone! The horror!"

Ciel couldn't help the burst of laughter that left his mouth. Alois sat back with a smug grin on his face and took a bite out of his cooked fish. The lack of salt made him wrinkle his nose briefly, but the Trancy said nothing and continued to eat.

The silence went on for a few more minutes until Alois couldn't stand it anymore. "Agares never mentioned how funny Death Caps can actually be," Alois noted as he gnawed on a fish bone. Licking his lips, he tossed it aside and resumed chewing on actual fish meat.

Ciel made an amused noise as he plucked a fish bone out of his mouth. "They walk funny," he chuckled as he remembered the penguin-like waddle of the mushroom creatures. Then he winced as the feeling of being whacked by a wooden club came back. "They're pretty strong though."

"That's true," Alois agreed, covering his mouth with his hand as he yawned. Ciel reached over and jabbed him in the side with a twig.

"Don't fall asleep. You're taking the first watch, remember?" he reminded.

Alois groaned and gave himself a light slap on the cheek to wake himself up. "Yeah, yeah. I remember. I won't fall asleep; don't worry." He stretched his arms and legs. "I wonder how the others are doing…hmm?" His statement turned into a question when Ciel suddenly stood up, gazing at something over the trees.

Alois turned around to see a fireball shoot up into the sky a considerable distance away. The ball of flame exploded over the treetops, showering nearby plants with dying embers. A pair of students was asking to withdraw from the practical.

"Should we go check it out?" Ciel asked, taking a few steps in the direction of where the fireball originated.

"Aren't the Hunters, Lau, or Agares supposed to do that?" Alois replied.

"What if they don't make it in time?" Ciel hissed just as another orb of energy, this time blue, flew into the sky at the same place where the Fireball Spell had been cast seconds ago.

"See?" Alois pointed at where the Blue Lightning Spell vanished, "They're fine. Violet probably got to them. I heard that he's a master of the Portal Spell. He probably teleported in there and – _zhwip! – _pulled them out just like that." He snapped his fingers for emphasis.

Ciel rolled his eyes and sat back down, finishing off the last of his fish. He tossed the skeleton away and wiped his hands on his pants. "I'm going to sleep now. Wake me up when it's midnight and I'll take the watch."

"Okay, but one question. Should I put the fire out or let it burn?"

"Let it burn." Ciel crawled underneath the tent of sticks and leaves and settled down on his side, resting his head on his arms. "It'll provide light so you can see if there's anything trying to sneak up on us, and it'll keep us adequately warm overnight."

"But what if I run out of wood for the fire?"

"There're plenty of sticks and leaves nearby. You'll be fine."

"Alright, but…"

"_Alois_! Stop fussing."

The Trancy grumbled his consent and fell silent, poking at the fire with a twig. Ciel closed his blue eyes, letting the crackle of the flames guide him to a dreamless sleep.


End file.
